Safe
by daily-chan
Summary: A relaxing morning babysitting turns into a nightmare when Death Eaters attack. Part of the A Bond of Family series. Warnings: Involves short detailed torture. Part of the A Bond of Family series


_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. However, since Rowling discarded my favourite characters I picked them up and took them into my care to give them the love and attention they deserve...and occasionally give them reason to need that love and attention no matter how much they deserve it without needing a reason. _

_Summary: A relaxing morning babysitting turns into a nightmare when Death Eaters attack. _

_Warnings: __Strong bromance, can't stomach boys being extremely close without it being sexual, then this is not the story for you and you should hit the return button._

_Detailed torture, sadistic Bellatrix. Character deaths, though no main characters._

_This story is part of a series called A Bond of Family. If you are interested in reading the entire series, then the chronological order can be found on my profile._

_**Special thanks to Kitty for beta-ing this story for me and giving me endless support and inspiration for this series. Thank you for your endless patience with my grammar and for all the lessons you've taught me and are still trying to stamp into my brain.**_

A/N: The repeatedly requested one-shot involving the Death Eater attack the day Sirius babysat Harry as was mentioned in Nightly Conversation.

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Loud giggling broke through the quiet of the early morning as Sirius walked into the living room area to almost be run over by a knitted animal.

"Whoa, are they racing again, pup?" He quickly stepped aside as two more knitted animals ran after the first one.

"Siri, up!" The pyjama clad toddler on the floor giggled at him, stretching his arms out.

"Up? Up where?" Sirius looked up, pretending to scan the ceiling while trying to keep a straight face.

"No Siri! Harry up," the child laughed, rising to his feet and wobbled over to him.

"You want to go up? Now why would I do that if I can get down too?" Sirius laughed as he sat down onto the ground beside Harry, letting the toddler grab onto his night shirt as his small legs gave out under him.

Harry wrapped his arms around Sirius' neck and placed a sloppy kiss there with a laugh.

"Oh so you want a kiss...I can give you one of those," Sirius teased, lifting the toddler into his arms and turned him upside down before he blew on Harry's belly button.

Harry giggled loudly, wiggling in Sirius' arms as he tried to get away from his tickling breath.

"Hug!" Harry demanded as Sirius turned him upright again after a moment.

"Rather demanding aren't you?" Sirius laughed, pulling Harry close and hugged him tightly before settling him into his arms, letting Harry play with his pyjama pants, twisting the material in his small hands.

"What are they racing for?" he asked as he watched the three animals run around.

"This," Harry pointed at a half eaten carrot lying on the ground.

"That," Sirius corrected him with a smile.

"That," Harry readily agreed as he nuzzled his nose into Sirius' neck.

"Hmmm, weren't you supposed to eat that?" Sirius asked as he shifted into a more comfortable position and Harry stood onto his wobbly feet again, leaning against his side as he did.

"No," Harry gave him a toothy grin, showing off the various baby teeth he already had, making Sirius smile.

"See Paddy?" Harry asked as he shook Sirius' sleeve.

Sirius smiled and dropped a kiss into Harry's hair before shifting into his Animagus form and Harry cheered as he threw his arms around the dog's neck.

"Paddy walk," he ordered and the dog pressed himself flat against the ground so that Harry could climb onto his back before slowly standing up and carefully walking around, making Harry cheer.

The dog barked, suddenly stilling and sniffed in the air as he felt a change in the wards.

In a fluent movement he transformed back into Sirius, twisting so that he caught Harry before the toddler could even begin to fall off his back mid - change.

"Shhhh, Fiddlydill," he ordered in a whisper as Harry made to protest and the toddler immediately fell silent, feeling his godfather's tenseness and remembering his lessons as he recognised the command word to be quiet and listen.

Sirius grabbed his wand from the floor and with a small sweep the knitted animals stopped running around, swooping them up as he took a few steps backwards.

Harry looked up to Sirius questioningly but kept silent as his godfather hadn't given the safe word yet, watching him mutter a spell repeatedly but only some silver mist appeared at his efforts.

"Crap...stupid Patronus, looks like we're on our own pup," Sirius shifted into action at an invisible sign, pulling Harry tighter against him.

He pointed his wand at the window and shot off a spell at the same time the window scattered.

Harry shrieked in fear as a masked form jumped through the window, only to be slammed backwards by the spell Sirius had cast.

Sirius shifted Harry's face into his chest both to keep the toddler from seeing what was happening and to keep him safe.

Tiny nails pinched his skin painfully but Sirius paid no attention to it as chaos erupted around them and various masked Death Eaters entered the house.

Spells were shot off rapidly and most of Sirius' attention was pulled into holding a shield over Harry while at the same time defending himself and returning spells as he seemed to wait for something.

"Come on...right," Sirius whispered before he suddenly Apparated from the spot, having created enough distance between them and the Death Eaters that he could Apparate without them following.

He Apparated to an alleyway before immediately Apparating further into a small room and placed Harry onto the ground.

"You'll be safe here. I'm going to see granny and grandpa and then I'll pick you up, all right?" He placed the three knitted animals onto the ground with Harry.

"Siri, stay," Harry whispered frightfully as he clutched Sirius' arm.

"I can't, honey, I wasn't able to warn anyone that we were in trouble so I have to warn granny and grandpa so they can tell your mummy and daddy. You don't want them to worry, right?"

"No..." Harry pouted as he accepted the knitted dog Sirius pressed into his hands.

"Lumos. Here, you just play for a bit, no one can reach you here so you are safe. Before you know it we'll pick you up again," Sirius pulled Harry into a hug for a moment and placed a kiss in his hair before he cast a few charms over Harry.

"They can't hear you so play as much as you want, but you have to stay in here no matter what...do you promise me that?"

"I promise," Harry nodded before he looked up to Sirius and raised his finger to his godfather's arm.

"Siri hurt."

Sirius glanced down to see several cuts through his torn night shirt and smiled.

"I'm fine, see?" he moved his arm, forcing himself to keep on a smile and not grimace as the movements hurt.

"I'll be back soon, stay here," he repeated before standing up and walking to the wall. He pressed his hand against it and disappeared through it.

Raising his wand he looked around carefully, glancing back at his exit. The hidden door was only visible to a Potter and him so he knew no one would be able to find Harry.

But just to be safe and make sure Harry wouldn't be able to leave on his own and potentially run into danger, he added a few more protective spells to the room to ensure the child's safety.

He walked through the hallway into the living room, checking the wards as he walked and tried to locate the Potters as he found the wards to be as they should be.

But the moment he stepped foot into the living room an enormous force slammed into him and he hit the wall behind him hard.

"Crucio!" a familiar voice screamed and Sirius felt his heart clench even as intense pain shot through him. He bit his lip to keep from screaming; knowing that even if they couldn't hear Harry, the child would still be able to hear them and would be frightened.

"What's the matter, cousin? Hadn't expected us to be here?" The same voice taunted him as the Cruciatus Curse was lifted.

Sirius gasped as the pain left abruptly and he sprung to his feet, only to immediately be knocked off them again as he was hit by red beams from various sides this time and this time he did screamed, unable to keep it in as the pain consumed his thoughts.

It was so intense and all-consuming that it was very hard to focus on anything else as every inch of his skin was on fire and he couldn't stop her from removing his wand from him as his muscles cramped uncontrollable.

"Homenum Revelio," Bellatrix cast before she frowned. "There is no one here beside us. Search the house anyway; he couldn't have hidden the brat far away."

Immediately several pair of feet disappeared as they hurried to do as she had told them to.

It didn't take long for them to return with a negative answer.

"Where is the brat," another voice asked as they finally lifted the curse off of Sirius.

Sirius choked out a taunting laugh between gasps. His entire body was inflamed and he had no illusions it would stop any time soon.

But the knowledge that they would never be able to find Harry gave him strength. He didn't care what happened to him as long as the child was safe. He glanced around to see at least a dozen Death Eaters surround him and silently cursed his luck as he knew he wasn't able to fight his way out of this, wandless magic or not.

"Where is the child! Imperio!" A brief dulling sensation rolled over Sirius, but before it could even form a hold over his thought he threw it off.

"Pathetic," he laughed, immediately paying for his taunt as pain took over once more.

"Why do we not use Legilimency on him?" someone asked, but Sirius couldn't focus on his voice enough to identify the speaker.

"No matter how much of a worthless traitor he is, he is still a Black by blood. His Occlumency shields are too powerful to break through, even while torturing him," Bellatrix snapped before she knelt down by him.

"Poor little cousin...let's see how you handle this though," she placed her wand at Sirius' arm and pulled it upward slowly, breaking the skin as she did.

Sirius screamed as she deliberately tore the muscles and tendons in his arm apart before she repeated the trick with his other arm.

"Shall we continue to your legs or are you going to tell us where the brat is," she asked in a sweet voice, her dark eyes glittering in joy at what she was doing.

"Go to hell," Sirius breathed out, clenching his teeth at the pain as she cast another Cruciatus at him.

"You'll be there long before me," she laughed, pointing her wand at his eye lids.

He gasped in pain as she cut the blood vessels in his eyelids and blood trickled into his eyes, burning them before he could blink the blood out of them.

"Should I cut you up slowly...or are you going to tell me what I want to know?" she asked with a hysterical laugh. "I hope you won't...I could have so much fun with you. The Dark Lord taught me all sorts of manners in how to keep someone alive during torture for a long time."

She moved her wand over his left leg, shattering the bone.

"Or I could simply do this," she rose her wand to his chest, burning his chest where her wand touched.

Every touch of her wand brought on a new pain and soon Sirius lost track of what was hurting the most as she continued to torture him without pause.

"You'll never find him," he finally managed to gasp out as she took a moment to simply shatter a rib.

The pain barely registering amidst the other excruciating pains of the other Death Eaters performing the Cruciatus Curse on him at random intervals.

"We will...and I'll personally make you watch as we rip his disgusting little body apart before your eyes. No one defies the Dark Lord," Bellatrix grabbed his torn and bloody jaw tightly to make him look at her.

Sirius refused to give her the pleasure of looking away and forced himself to stare back into her dark insane eyes.

"Over my dead body," he bit at her; trying to ignore how his body was rapidly bringing him closer to it the longer they tortured him.

"In due time. I must say I am pleased you hold on for so long. Those old fools barely gave me any joy with how soon their hearts gave out."

She turned his face to the left and for the first time he realised there were bodies laying on the ground a few meters from him.

Sightless and glassy brown eyes stared out to him from a familiar and loved face and Sirius' heart clenched painfully as he identified the motionless face as Dorea Potter's.

The older woman's arms were bended slightly and blood had pooled under her mouth. But he could see no obvious wounds on her body that indicated torture.

"Yes, she died rather quickly. A few Crucio's and she was gone, hardly any fun at all. The man wasn't any better, worthless bastards. Nothing like you," Bellatrix grinned manically at him as she caught on what he was looking at.

Sirius bit back tears as his burning eyes managed to locate the body of Charlus Potter, the only father figure he had ever known. He was lying not far from his wife, his brown eyes closed and for that Sirius was grateful. He never wanted to see those warm eyes stare sightlessly like his Mum's were doing now.

A quick glance over the man's body confirmed that he too had no visible wounds on him, mercifully not having lived long enough to endure more intense torture.

His heart bled in agony at knowing they were dead. Knowing they would never again smile at him or give him a warm hug again. Knowing that she, the caring mother he had always dreamed of and who'd been so happy he'd began to call her Mum, would never tease him again or affectionately kiss his nose whenever she felt like it.

That the best father he could have ever dreamed of would never smile at him again with those warm brown eyes, so much like his son's. That he would never pull him close again or laugh again at any of his or James' antics.

But even though his heart bled and it felt like he was dying inside, he felt comfort in knowing they had died quickly. Bellatrix might think she tormented him with telling him that she had had little fun with them, it told him they hadn't suffered for long.

He didn't bother trying to stop the tears from falling as he stared at the parents he loved so much.

"Aww don't be sad, in due time you'll be able to join your precious Mudblood lovers. This could all stop at any moment. You just have to tell me where you hid the brat."

Bellatrix ran her hand over his cheek, forcing his gaze back to her before she raised her hand to her mouth and licking off the blood that had collected into it.

"Then you'll just have to keep torturing me because I'll never tell," Sirius snapped, wishing he sounded brave and defiant instead of simply exhausted and hoarse.

His body was shaking in exhaustion and constant pain. Beside the Cruciatus Curse the other Death Eaters kept on a constant stream of other painful curses, too, while Bellatrix took the more personal approach and cutting him up slowly.

"I wonder how the Mudblood loving son will react when he finds you all here...do you think he will enjoy your blood splattered around. Such a lovely sight," Bellatrix purred as she cut a hole into his shoulder, being careful to avoid any major artery or blood vessel but causing as much pain as she could.

Sirius whimpered, choking out a mouth full of blood as she tore a hole into his abdomen with her knife before she slipped her hand into the hole and ripped his spleen apart.

"Maybe I will let you live long enough for him to see you die. But first you need to tell me where the little brat is."

Sirius choked as Bellatrix cut into his chest, sliding the knife over his shattered and broken ribs.

"Ah...I so love Auntie Walburga's work," she let the point of her knife trace over the word carved over his heart.

"A bit unimaginative but still lovely. That woman should join the Dark Lord, he could teach her how to properly torture someone so they won't fight back any more. That was her one mistake with you, you know," Bellatrix said conversationally, as if she wasn't currently soaked in his blood and causing more to flow.

"She has been working on you your whole life; from the moment you first showed signs of becoming a traitor by daring to smile at that Mudblood lover, despite being told not to, she has been trying to turn you into a proper Black."

Sirius weakly glared at her but Bellatrix only laughed as she slid her hand underneath his back.

"Weak, you have always been weak. She should have just killed you as the worthless toddler you were then and not bother trying to raise you the right way. Maybe Regulus would have had a spine then," she dug her hand into his back, making him cry out in pain as she snapped the already weakened and mutilated spine.

Sirius' eyes widened as she did this before he fell limp in her grasp.

"Don't fall asleep now, we've hardly begun," Bellatrix laughed as she pointed her wand at him to revive him again, hurriedly healing some of his wounds.

Sirius gasped as he was forced back into consciousness and coughed weakly as he tried but failed to turn to his side.

"It isn't sleeping time yet cousin, Crucio."

Sirius moaned but didn't cry out as he simply didn't have the energy left to scream any more.

"As much as I enjoy watching you tear him apart, it's been hours. People will have gone home by now and found the Dark Mark above his house. It is only a matter of time before that damn Order will be alerted and they'll come here. He's not going to tell us where the child is so we should kill him now," A masked Death Eater interrupted her as she bent over Sirius' shivering form again.

"You are spoiling my fun," Bellatrix growled at him as she turned to the speaker.

"I- I wouldn't dare, but the Dark Lord's orders were to kill him if he did not give up the boy," the Death Eater spluttered, taking a step back in fear at her murderous expression.

"You are just as spineless as he is, Lucius. But I suppose I've had enough fun," she rose and swirled her wand in her hand, pointing it at Sirius.

Sirius's shallow breathing was the only sound for a long moment as she grinned madly and his eyes slipped shut again.

"Looks like our playtime is over, cousin. Ava..."

"Protego!"

Bellatrix was slammed backwards as a shield formed around Sirius' bloodied form and several Order members appeared on the scene, James having been the one to cast the Protego, his wand rapidly firing off more spells.

Immediately a fight broke out between the two groups but the Death Eaters were outnumbered and either fell or retreated quickly.

Bellatrix growled, baring her teeth at James as he pushed forward, constantly keeping his Protego around Sirius' motionless form even as he fought.

"I'll get him Potter...you won't be able to protect him forever," she snarled before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke.

The Order members did a quick sweep of the house while James hurried forward to Sirius and knelt beside him.

"Siri...Sirius, can you hear me?"

He hesitated as he truly caught sight of the broken and bloodied form of his best friend before immediately starting to wave his wand over him, trying to heal the worst of the wounds as Sirius' eyes remained closed.

"He needs to be brought to St Mungo's," he unnecessary said as Remus and Lily knelt down beside him and helped him heal what they could while several Order members busied themselves with either standing guard or checking the other bodies.

"His spine is broken," Remus noted as he carefully slipped his hand underneath Sirius' back to stabilise it so that James could heal it.

"What isn't broken," James shot back as he reattached the bones as well as he could.

Sirius let out a choke and his eyes opened again as the new pain registered.

"Siri...hey...can you hear me?" James repeated, hesitating before caressing his bloody cheek with a finger.

"James," Sirius gasped out, new blood trickling down the corner of his mouth as he did.

"Shhh...we're here now. You are safe," James whispered.

"Where is Harry, Siri?" Lily placed her hand on his lightly, trying to get his attention without applying pressure to the damaged limb.

"Sorry...parents...I..." Sirius whispered between gasps of breaths, his eyes trying to focus on James but failing miserably as blood kept dripping into them.

"James..." Remus suddenly swallowed as his eyes fell onto what the other Order members were doing.

"Not now," James snapped, trying to keep Sirius focused on him, using the soft fabric of his shirt to whip away the blood from Sirius' eyelids as good as he could. But the moment Sirius blinked they immediately filled up again.

"Where's Harry, Siri? He was with you when you were attacked, can you remember?" he tried to keep his voice steady and reassuring despite the fear he felt, both for his brother and his son.

"Safe location," Sirius whispered between two gasps of pain.

"I know he is safe, love. You would never let anything happen to him. But I need to know where," a small smile slipping over James' lips.

"James...your parents," Remus tried to catch his attention again.

"I've already seen them Remus...but I can't do anything for them any more," James choked out, tears forming in his eyes. But he kept them firmly attached to Sirius. "I failed to help them, but I won't fail Sirius and Harry."

Lily gasped as her eyes found the two elderly Potters but James kept his attention on Sirius, softly stroking his bloodied and tear stricken cheek with the tip of his fingers.

"Can you tell me where he is, Siri?

"Safe location," Sirius repeated and James nodded, trying not to let his frustration show as he knew Sirius was hardly coherent enough to be more specific.

"I know he's in a safe location, but I need to know where."

Sirius mumbled something incoherent as his eyes slipped shut again and James bit his lip, knowing Sirius had lost conscious again.

"He needs medical help."

"Gideon and I will take him. I swear I will not leave his side, not for a moment," Fabian stepped forward, clasping his hand onto James' shoulder before he knelt onto one knee.

"You swear?" James grabbed Fabian's hand before he could come close to touching Sirius.

"I swear I will. He will not leave my sight until you have given me the password."

James slipped out of his jacket and shifting so that he could lift Sirius into his arms, trying not to wince as his best friend's limbs fell into positions they shouldn't be able to. Wrapping his jacket around Sirius' icy and shattered shoulders to cover his mutilated torso up and give him the comfort of his scent, he pulled him close to press a kiss into his bloodied hair and whispered something into his ear before placing him in Fabian's waiting arms.

He rearranged the motionless limbs into a more natural position before Remus carefully rested his jacket over Sirius' broken frame to provide some warmth.

"Find your son and then come to St Mungo's. We will be at Sirius' side," Gideon promised once more as he pulled his jacket off too and placed it over Sirius as well.

James nodded and the twins quickly left to get Sirius the help he desperately needed.

With the three of them they combed the house out, trying to find Harry.

"I don't understand how this could happen...Potter Manor is supposed to be a safe location," Lily looked around Sirius' old room and James looked into the closet.

"The wards are intact; Sirius wouldn't have known something was amiss when he arrived here after the apartment was attacked. I don't know how they got in, it is the safest lo...cation..." James trailed, his eyes widening.

"What?" Lily asked as he suddenly rose.

"Safe location. What exactly did Sirius say?"

"That Harry was in a safe location," Lily answered.

"No...not a safe location. He just said safe location," James quickly moved through the rooms and to the hallway, Lily and Remus following him as he explained.

"When his relatives discovered Arcturus Black hadn't disinherited Sirius after he ran away they tried to regain control of him. To give Sirius a sense of safety Dad build a basement hidden from view where he could go if he was scared or frightened by something. Beside Sirius only a Potter by birth can enter there."

"I don't understand what it has to do with a safe location," Lily quickened her steps to keep up with his long strides.

"We call it our safe location," James explained as he abruptly stopped halfway into the hallway and placed his hand against the wall before pulling back with a pained hiss.

"He's added another layer of protection."

"How are we going to get in then?" Remus asked.

James leaned both of his hands against the wall, whispering something and suddenly he slipped through it.

Lily and Remus gasped, moving forward as one but couldn't see any door.

"James?" Lily called, immediately drawing her hand back the moment it touched the wall as she got a painful shock.

James appeared back into the hallway almost immediately, holding a crying Harry in his arms.

"He's fine."

"Harry!" Lily exclaimed relieved as she pulled her son into her arms.

"Where Siri?" Harry cried as he curled his fingers into her neck.

"Siri got hurt, he's getting help," she told the toddler as she hugged him close to her, uncaring he had soiled his diaper thoroughly.

"Want Siri," Harry cried as he tried to locate his beloved godfather, not understanding why he wasn't there.

"We'll go to him now," James promised as he ruffled Harry's hair.

Harry nodded as he rested his head against his mother's chest.

Remus sighed relieved, even as he kept his distance from the toddler. "So Sirius hid him there before he came out?"

"I think so. Harry, did you see granny and grandpa when you came here?" Lily caressed her son's cheek.

"No, Siri say stay."

"Did Siri take you through the house?" James asked.

"No."

"So he Apparated into the safe room and left Harry there just to be safe," James concluded from his son's answers as they walked back to the others.

"You found him," Moody grumbled relieved. "Fabian send word, they safely arrived at St. Mungo's and Sirius is being treated. He says he will be all right."

James and Remus both sighed in relief, sharing an embrace before James placed a kiss on Harry's head.

"Hear that honey? Siri's going to be fine."

"See Siri?" Harry looked up to his father with hopeful eyes.

James let out a choked smile. "Yeah, we'll go see Siri."

He ruffled Harry's hair again, his gaze unable to look away from the two sheet covered forms in the room.

"I'll make sure they are treated properly and that you can say goodbye later," Moody placed a hand on James' arm. "They would want you to be at his side right now."

James nodded. "Thanks, Moody."

"You will have to Apparate though, the Floo is breached. The Longbottom's were attacked during the night but got away safely. They probably used their Floo to travel here undetected as the Wards are untouched," Moody shook his head angrily and James swallowed thickly as he knew neither his parents nor Sirius would have seen anything coming before they'd been ambushed.

He nodded to Lily and Remus as they made their way outside to Apparate to St Mungo's.

"James, you found him," Gideon shifted from the wall relieved when they entered, clearly having awaited their arrival.

"Where is he?" James asked without bothering to greet him.

"Come with me," Gideon passed the Admission Department without giving the Welcome witch behind the desk a second glance and led them to the elevators.

"He's on the fourth floor," he said unnecessarily.

"Do you know the extent of his injuries?" Lily asked as they left the elevator and they followed Gideon through the hallway.

"Fabian stayed while they worked on him, I had to move outside. So it's best if he just tells you. In here," he stopped in front of a room and stepped aside so that they could get in before him.

James tried to move into the room but Fabian suddenly appeared in the doorway with a raised wand.

"What is the password?"

"Honestly Fab, it's them," Gideon complained when Fabian didn't move a muscle.

James swallowed and leaned forward, whispering something into Fabian's ear.

Fabian nodded, lowering his wand and stepping aside.

"I had to be sure, he's still asleep," he explained his actions as James rushed past him to the bed, leaning over his brother.

"Thank you, I rather have you be over suspicious than let the wrong one in," James said without moving his eyes from Sirius' sleeping form. "How is he?"

"He has seen better days, but the Healers say he will make a full recovery."

Lily quickly changed Harry's diaper, cleaning him up with materials Gideon was quick to collect for her before she sat down in the chair next to the bed beside Remus while James took a place on the bed, taking Sirius' hand in his own.

"Siri," Harry reached his arms out as he spotted his godfather, but Lily kept him back.

"Let's let Siri sleep honey, he's not feeling so well."

"What is the extent of his injuries?" Remus asked as Lily let Harry down so as he wanted to move to his father.

"You managed to heal quite a few of his internal injuries, but most of his muscles and tendons are still healing as we speak. You managed to heal several of his bones and they healed the rest. Most were shattered so badly that I don't understand why they didn't just give him Skele-Gro rather than try and heal the pieces left. I hope he'll sleep through the night because that was one hell of a progress," Fabian shivered.

"They easily healed most of the burns, cuts and other injuries you hadn't healed yet. His spleen was repaired but his appendix was beyond saving, which truthfully, considering the extent of his injuries is remarkable it's the only thing he lost."

James swallowed thickly while lifting Harry onto his lap as Fabian sighed.

"His spine is reattached and healed completely, it was shattered and by all means should be paralysed, so it's a miracle he's not. He's also been put under a lot of curses, though mostly the Cruciatus Curse."

"But he will be all right?" James caressed the hair out of Sirius' cleaned face, not caring it was damp under his fingers.

"Amazingly, yes. They found evidence that his torturers healed parts of his injuries to prevent him from bleeding out or going into full blown shock. So psychically he will be fine, but I don't know about mentally. I have no idea how long they tortured him, but judging from the extent of his injuries and the knowledge they went through the effort of healing him partially, I'd say it's been hours."

"I didn't come home until late in the afternoon. The moment I saw the Dark Mark hanging above our building I alerted James," Remus admitted softly.

"Daddy, hungry," Harry interrupted James as he opened his mouth to say something.

"Here, I figured you'd be," Gideon said, having left the room without anyone noticing and placing a bowl of chopped fruit into Harry's hands.

"What did you eat last?" James asked as he thanked Gideon.

"Carrot," Harry replied as he struggled with the fork before James took it from him and stabbed a piece of apple onto it so that he could bit into it.

"That's…." Gideon frowned.

"So they were attacked between seven and nine in the morning," James interrupted him.

"How do you know?" Fabian asked bewildered.

"Because Sirius always gives Harry a carrot around seven in the morning, an hour after breakfast and half an apple at nine. The last thing he ate was a carrot, meaning he never got his apple," Lily answered.

"Which means that they were attacked after he got his carrot, but before his nine o'clock apple," Fabian realised.

"Why does he give him a carrot that early in the morning?" Gideon asked.

James smiled faintly. "Habit. Sirius always eats a carrot around that time and Harry likes to copy him so he asks for whatever Sirius is eating."

"Good thing he's a healthy eater then," Fabian smiled.

"Who's a healthy eater?" a croaky new voice joined them and they all looked down surprised.

"The Healers said you wouldn't wake up until at least tomorrow morning," Fabian rolled his eyes as the others exclaimed his name.

"The Healers don't know how stubborn he is," James smiled, squeezing Sirius' hand. "Hey."

"Hey," Sirius' smile turned into a grimace and James quickly loosened his grip with an apologetic wince.

"Siri!" Harry exclaimed happily as he leaned forward, almost upsetting his bowl and Gideon quickly removed it before it could fall. He and Fabian quietly left the room to give them some time together, standing guard outside.

Sirius shifted his head a little so that he could look into the direction of the voice. "Hey pup."

Harry dropped from James' lap onto Sirius' torso, making Sirius gasp in pain.

"Harry don't…" Lily berated him, only to have Sirius interrupt her with a pained cough.

"It's okay," he looked down at Harry. "Mind coming down, buddy?" he asked and Harry shifted from his torso to his side without argument, curling up against his side and promptly falling asleep.

Sirius slowly shifted his arm so that it rested around the toddler's frame, not letting go of James' hand as he did so.

"He's all right?" he looked back up to James.

"Perfectly fine. A lot better than you are," James answered softly.

"Better me than him," he winced again while trying to suppress a yawn.

"You should get some more sleep while you can," Lily smiled at him.

"Hmmm," Sirius shifted slightly with another grimace.

"I'm not going anywhere so you should just rest," James agreed as he caressed the back of Sirius' hand with his thumb.

"You should go home," Sirius mumbled as his eyes started to droop.

"Not going to happen. And once you are healed enough to be discharged you are coming home with us," Lily spoke up as she took his other hand. "No offence Remus."

"None taken. I think it is wise to move from the apartment so if you guys take Sirius in then I'll simply crash at my father's place in between missions until he's fully healed and we've found a new place," Remus agreed.

"You're not leaving my sight any time soon," James added firmly.

"I don't want to be a bother," Sirius whispered and James leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

"You should know by now that you never are. If anything, you are making it easier for me. I will feel a whole lot better if you are somewhere where I can see you at all times. At least for the time being."

Sirius looked into his eyes for a long moment before he gave in and James smiled, softly caressing his cheek again, pressing a kiss into his damp hair.

"Go to sleep, I'll be here," he promised softly as Sirius finally let his eyes shut again, quickly falling back asleep again.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Remus asked Lily softly after a few minutes passed in silence.

"Not just yet. Do you mind staying a little while longer?"

"Not at all," Remus said relieved as he placed his hand onto Sirius' when Lily withdrew hers with a smile and they fell into a comfortable silence, watching their brother sleep and heal.

James glanced at the door, knowing the twins were standing guard outside. He knew Fabian's promise would not have only lasted until he had arrived, but for as long as they'd need it too. And he was grateful for the level of safety Sirius was provided with so that he could sleep and heal without worrying.

For the time being, with the twins guarding the hallway and Remus and Lily at his brothers side, he knew Sirius would be safe, and that was all that James could ask for now.


End file.
